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William Henry Flack 



(Late a Representative from New York) 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

- ^ 



Fifty-ninth Congress 
Second Session 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
February 24, 1907 



SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
March 2, 1907 



Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing 



WASHINGTON : , GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : , 1907 






TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Page 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Courien, D. D 5, 7 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Sherman, of New York 1 1 

Mr. Goulden, of New York 13 

Mr. Minor, of Wisconsin 15 

Mr. Bennet, of New York 19 

Mr. Perkins, of New York 21 

Mr. Driscoll, of New York , 23 

Mr. Fitzgerald, of New York 28 

Mr. Grosvenor, of Ohio 30 

Proceedings in the Senate > • • • 33 

Memorial address by — 

Mr. Depew, of New York 37 

3 



Death of Representative William H. Flack 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE 

Saturday, February 2, igoj. 

The House met at 12 o'clock m. 

Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, as follows: 
Infinite and eternal spirit, God, our heavenly Father, in 
whom we live and move and have our being. We thank Thee 
for every aspiration, for every earnest and noble endeavor 
which leads on to larger life and civilization, and for that 
profound appreciation which enables us to recognize the nobil- 
ity of soul and real worth in our fellow-men. We thank Thee 
for the special order which sets apart this day as a memorial 
service to one who became conspicuous as a statesman, who by 
earnest and faithful endeavor rose from the humble position of 
a page on the floor of the United States Senate to a member 
of that august body, and who by common consent became the 
leader of his party, than which no greater encomium could be 
pronounced, no grander monument reared to his memory. 
Grant that his character may ever be an inspiration to noble 
and pure living to those who survive him and to those who 
come after us, and Thine be the glory forever. And now. 
Almighty Father, we are again moved by the news of the 
death of one of our Congressional family. Comfort, we beseech 
Thee, those who are bereft of a dear one, and help us all to 
live so that when our time shall come we shall pass on and 

5 



6 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

hear the word, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into 
the joys of thy Lord. Through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Mr. Knapp. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sorrow that I 
announce to this House the death of my colleague, William 
H. Flack, of New York, which occurred at his home in Ma- 
lone at 8.15 this morning. M'". Flack was beloved \>y his 
neighbors and immediate constituency and held in high esteem 
by his colleagues in this House. At some future time I shall 
;isk the House to fix a day for eulogies suitable to his life and 
character. Mr. Speaker, I now offer the following resolutions. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolutions 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 
of Hon. Wii.i.iam H. Flack, a Representative from the State of New 
York. 

Resolved, That a committee of fifteen Members of the House, with 
such members of the Senate as may be joined, lie appointed to attend the 
funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and 
directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the pro- 
visions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in connection 
therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
anil transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 
The Speaker. The Chair announces the following com- 
mittee: 

Messrs. Sherman, Littauer, Knapp, Draper, Driscoll, Fassett, Dwight, 
Ryan, Fitzgerald, Goulderi, Grosvenor, Minor, Watson, Howell of New 
Jersey, and Reynolds. 

Mr. Knapp. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following additional 

resolution: 

Resolved, That at the conclusion of the memorial exercises assigned for 
the day the House shall stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to 
the memory of William H. Flack. 

The resolution was unanimously agreed to. 



Proceedings in the House 7 

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Piatt, one of its clerks, 
announced that the Senate had passed the following resolutions: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the an- 
nouncement of the death of Hon. William H. Flack, late a Representa- 
tive from the State of New York. 

Resolved, That a committee of six Senators be appointed by the Vice- 
President to join a committee appointed on the part of the House of Rep- 
resentatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the 
House of Representatives. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased the Senate <1<> now adjourn. 

And that in compliance with the foregoing the Vice-President 
had appointed as said committee Mr. Piatt, Mr. Depew, Mr. 
Kean, Mr. Bulkeley, Mr. Dubois, and Mr. Newlands. 

The motion of Mr. Gill ( that the House do now adjourn ) 
was agreed to. 

Accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 5 minutes p. m.) the House 
adjourned. 

Monday, February 11, 1907. 

Mr. Sherman. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
Sunday, February 24, be set apart for the purpose of pronounc- 
ing eulogies upon the life and character of Hon. William H. 
Flack, late a Representative from the State of New York. 

The Spkarer. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The 
Chair hears none. 

Sunday, February .?/, igoj. 

The House met at 10 o'clock a. m. 

Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. Henry X. Coudeu, D. D., as 
follows : 

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe 
also in me. 

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, 
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. For 



8 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle Were 
dissolved, we have a building of God, a house >/ol made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens. 

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with 
our house which is from heaven: 

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked . 

For we that arc in this tabernacle do groan , being burdened: 
not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mor- 
tality might be swallowed up of life. 

Now he that hath 'wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, 
-who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, 
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to 
come, 

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able 
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ fesus 
our I^ord. 

Eternal God, our heavenly Father, whose heart goes ( ut 
in approbation and love to those who seek to do Thy will 
and thus add to the sum of human happiness and departing 
leave the world a little better that they have lived and 
wrought. 

We thank Thee for the men whose characters and deeds 
we are here to memorialize, men whose gifts and talents 
fitted them in an eminent degree for the onerous duties laid 
upon them by their fellow-citizens. Let Thy blessing, we 
beseech Thee, be upon this service, that those who shall 
record their tribute of love and respect may inspire those who 
shall come after them to faithful service. 

We thank Thee for the hope of immortality which lifts 
us in our better moments to larger life and nobler deeds and 
which bids us look forward to a brighter world bevond the 



Proceedings in the House g 

confines of earth. Let Thine everlasting arms be about those 
who mourn the loss of their dear ones, and in Thine own 
good time bring them to dwell together in one of the many 
mansions prepared for those who love the Lord, and Thine 
be the praise forever. Amen. 

Mr. Sherman. Mr. Speaker, I offer the resolutions which 
I send to the desk. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the business of the House be suspended and that oppor- 
tunity be now afforded Members to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. 
William H. Flack, late a Representative from the State of New York. 

Resolved, That as a special mark of respect and esteem for Mr. 1 ; i,ack, 
the House, at the conclusion of these proceedings, adjourn. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family 
of the deceased. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Sherman, of New York 

Mr. Speaker: William Henry Flack, for two terms a 
Member of this House, departed this life at his home in Malone, 
N. Y., on the morning of February 2 last, in his forty-sixth 
year. While the news of his decease did not come as a sur- 
prise to his friends and acquaintances, it was nevertheless a 
blow that brought to them heartfelt sorrow and deep sympathy 
for those he left behind, and for whom he entertained the love 
of a husband and father, idealic in its character and profound 
in its depth. 

Mr. Flack, because of his physical condition, had not, during 
his incumbency of office, made the impress upon this House of 
which he was capable, yet he evinced all the qualities of a capa- 
ble legislator, and he certainly was an industrious Representa- 
tive, especially in matters affecting his district. His fidelity, 
his faithfulness, his manliness, his sturdy character were at 
once apparent to those with whom he came in contact. Reared 
to labor, and touching elbows in his younger days with men 
whose range of thought was limited, he sought a broader en- 
vironment and soon attained it. His limited education was 
no bar to his progress toward honorable distinction, and he 
endeavored in every way, and with success, to broaden himself 
intellectually. Possessed of a judgment accurate and keen, he 
was a close and industrious student and reader, and soon began 
to make an impress on the community in which he lived. His 

11 



12 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

political sagacity was unerring and his advice, which was 
freely sought, not alone on political but on other matters, was 
as freely bestowed. In business as well as in politics he was 
ruggedly honest and every pledge was kept. Those who knew 
him are better for having known him and the community where 
he lived is better for having counted him as an integral and 
component part. 

No man can speak ill of him. No man can say he was un- 
true to a trust or a promise. His every act, personally or of- 
ficially, was the act of an honest man, and his memory will 
abide with those who knew him as that of a man from even- 
standpoint. His heart, his brain, his endeavor were all as true 
as the needle. Beloved by his intimates, respected by his neigh- 
bors and his constituents, admired by those with knowledge of 
his reputation, Mr. Flack went to meet his Maker with no 
fear of the judgment and, I believe, with no wish that even one 
page of his record as a man might be erased or altered so far as 
his relations with his fellow-men were concerned. 

He believed in his God, in his country, in his home, and in 
his friends. His effort was not for narrow betterment — the 
betterment of the individual alone — but for the betterment 
which affected the individuals and the community of which he 
was a part. No trumpet announced his comings and goings, 
but results told of his being there. He knew his own capacity 
and recognized his limitations. He used the former with judg- 
ment and never attempted to go beyond the latter. He was 
what he appeared — big of body, of heart, of brain; true to his 
honest instincts. Without effort so to do, he made and retained 
warm friends. They were drawn to him by his splendid, manly 
qualities, and they stayed with him from choice. To have been 
of his friends was a privilege, the memory of which will be 
pleasing and lasting. 



Address of Mr. Goulden, of New York 13 



Address of Mr. Goulden, of New York 

Mr. Speaker: Only those who knew William Henry 
Flack intimately can appreciate the loss sustained by his 
untimely death. It was my good fortune to serve with him 
on the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries during 
two Congresses. Service of this character, and especially as 
we both came from the Empire State, makes companions 
of Members. 

The late Mr. Flack was a genial, honorable, whole-souled 
gentleman, a self-made man. He was born in 1S61, hence at 
his untimely death he was less than 46 years of age — in the 
prime of life. Since his advent in this House his health had 
been in rather a precarious condition. Notwithstanding his 
physical ailments he was faithful in the discharge of his duties, 
pleasant and agreeable in his intercourse with his associates. 
Of him in his daily work the words of Emerson apply: 

Life is too short to waste 

The critic's bite or cynic's bark. 
Quarrel or reprimand; 

'Twill soon be dark; 
Up! Mind thine own aim, and 

God speed the mark. 

Being honored by the Speaker with an appointment to attend 
the funeral services of the late Mr. Flack, in common with 
my colleagues on the committee, I had the opportunity of 
observing his standing in the community in which he was born 
and lived. 

Upon our arrival in Malone on the morning of February 5 
a general gloom seemed to pervade the beautiful little moun- 
tain city, the capital of Franklin County, N. Y. At noon all 



14 Memorial Addresses: William. Henry Flack 

the places of business closed and remained so until after the 
funeral. The church was filled with his friends, and the 
services, conducted by four ministers of the gospel, of as many 
different creeds, took part in the impressive ceremonies. His 
Masonic brethren and other fraternal bodies were present in 
large numbers. The scene was one never to be forgotten, and 
made a lasting impression on his colleagues who were present. 
An old friend of his, speaking to a member of the committee, 
said: " Flack was a man in every sense of the word, a model 
husband, a loving father, an obliging neighbor, and a kind, 
true friend." This was the universal opinion as expressed be- 
friends and neighbors. 

He has gone from among us, having crossed to the other 
shore, in the full hope of a blessed immortality. We firmly 
believe that our loss is his gain. It is a road that we must all 
travel, for it is appointed unto man once to die. This decree 
is unalterable; all must meet the destroyer — death. The 
memory of the life and deeds of our late colleague is ours to 
cherish and emulate. 

He sleeps, but in that sleep beneath the sod 

No dreams shall come — those dreams that banish sleep; 
No watchers then, naught save the eyes of God, 

To watch his slumber long, and still, and deep. 
Then mourn him not as dead — he can not die — 

And mourn him not as sleeping in that day; 
He wakes, he lives, not far in yonder sky, 

But near us, though not seen, he walks to-day. 

His memory will ever abide with his friends, a benediction 

and a blessing. 



Address of Mr. Minor, of Wisconsin 15 



Address of Mr. Minor, of Wisconsin 

Mr. Speaker: My acquaintance with our late respected 
colleague, Hon. William H. Flack, found its beginning in 
the early part of the Fifty-eighth Congress. As a Member 
thereof, he was to begin his Congressional life that, so unfor- 
tunately for himself and his country, terminated too briefly to 
permit him to attain to the higher positions in the House of 
Representatives that he certainly would have won had his 
health permitted or his life been spared long enough to give 
him the experience so necessary for a Representative in Con- 
gress — an experience that can only come from long service in 
the House. 

Brother Flack was assigned to the Committee on the Mer- 
chant Marine and Fisheries, of which I was, and had been for 
several } - ears, a member. Here it was that I formed his 
acquaintance and learned to respect his sterling qualities. I 
early discovered that he was not physically strong. It was 
plain that he was a sick man; but his determination to perform 
the duties of the position to which he had been assigned, in 
spite of physical infirmities, attracted my attention and com- 
manded the admiration of all his associates on the committee. 

We knew that Brother Flack attended meetings of the com- 
mittee very often when, if he had given more thought to his 
physical needs, he would have remained away; but with him it 
was a contest between physical weakness and a mental deter- 
mination to discharge the duties of his position; it was a ques- 
tion that arose between a sick bed and his duty in the committee 
room, and duty always won with him. 

Brother Flack was among the most conscientious of Mem- 



1 6 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

bers, endowed with a strong mind and a high sense of public 
duty; he felt that he could not evade any responsibility that 
came to him as a member of the committee or this House. 

Moreover, he realized, as but few new Members do, that all 
legislation, to be effective, beneficial, and just, must be care- 
fully considered and formulated in the committee room. 

Active, intelligent committee work is the foundation upon 
which rests the truly wise measures that govern, build up, and 
expand the magnificent moral and industrial institutions of our 
country of which we, as a people, may feel justly proud. 

These laws that are initiated and prepared largely in the 
committee rooms, and almost invariably based upon the prin- 
ciples of wisdom, equity, and justice to all men, hold within 
their limits more than 80,000,000 of sovereign people, the 
equals of any on earth. 

All this, and the truth of this, was promptly grasped by the 
pure and active mind and great heart of Brother Flack; not 
because of his long service in this national legislative body, for 
he was just entering upon his first term; not because of a col- 
lege education, for he had never enjoyed this blessing; but be- 
cause of his endowment with a mind that was practical, a mind 
capable of grasping the logical rather than the theoretical 
affairs of American citizenship. 

Brother Flack was not a man of high pretensions or of many 
words, but he possessed the faculty of grasping the true situa- 
tion as it presented itself, and this enabled him to cast his vote 
and lend his influence for what invariably proved to be the 
right side of all questions that his brief service permitted him 
to aid in solving. 

His colleagues on the committee realized that for a beginner 
in legislative work this Member from Malone, N. V., was much 
above the average. Every Member of the House of Repre- 



Address of Mr. Minor, of Wisconsin ij 

sentatives who chanced to enjoy his acquaintance held him in 
the highest esteem. 

There seemed to be a hidden and mysterious power not real- 
ized by its possessor that unconsciously drew men to him; they 
believed what he thought, even though his thoughts were not 
expressed in many words. Men with such gifts are rare, 
indeed, but wherever known, in whatever walk of life they are 
found, their influence is well-nigh immeasurable, and this 
influence is either for good or for evil. 

Thanks to the Creator of the Universe for the lofty purposes, 
pure mind, and love of justice so conspicuous in this man from 
Malone, for with such a rich heritage all his might, mind, and 
strength were employed in the discharge of the most exalted 
duties of husband, a father, a citizen, and a representative of 
the people, whose confidence in him was unbounded. 

Mr. Flack enjoyed the respect of the people in his home 
town of Malone, N. Y. , to a remarkable degree. I was im- 
pressed with this fact from personal observation and coming in 
contact with the citizens of Malone. I chanced to be one of the 
members of the committee from this body who attended the 
funeral of the deceased, and it was gratifying to me to listen 
to the many testimonials offered by his fellow-townsmen; the 
evidence was unquestioned that William H. Flack was held 
in the highest esteem by those who had known him the longest 
and whose associations with him had been the closest. 

Where can we look for better assurance of the true worth of 
any man than in his own town and among his neighbors with 
whom he has mingled for a long period of years? 

I thought as I witnessed the sadness visible on every counte- 
nance, the genuine mourning that pervaded the very atmos- 
phere in Malone, that W. H. Flack was all that I had believed 
him to be — a truly good man. 
H. Doc. 810, 59-2 2 



iS Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

Mr. Speaker, William H. Flack, our beloved colleague, is 
dead; his life's burdens are cast off, his cares, his griefs, his 
sorrows, his responsibilities, his joys and pleasures are all 
ended. 

He sleeps, and there is no power to arouse him till the 
trumpet shall sound that calls to the throne of Him who 
reigns supreme over His children of the earth, there to receive 
from His hand the final reward or chastisement according to 
their deserts. 

The body of William H. Flack lies in the cemetery at 
Malone. 

The curtain has been let down between the living and the 
dead, and behind that impenetrable curtain all is mystery. 

It is not given to mortal man positively to know the habi- 
tation of a departed life; we know the tomb that holds the 
bod}-; we know not of the spirit that has departed, because no 
man hath seen beyond the grave. We who believe in an all- 
wise and just Ruler of the Universe, He who holds in his 
hands the destiny of men, of nations, and the world, and all 
therein, should be content to leave with him the solution of 
life, death, and the eternity to follow. 

They who do right accordingly as they are given to see the 
right, they who walk in the pathway that leads on to the 
better and nobler things of this life, who do good and avoid 
evil deeds, who walk uprightly before all men, doing unto 
others as they would that others should do unto them, may 
well afford to trust their future destiny in the hands of Him 
who doeth all things well. 

I sincerely believe that these requirements were as nearly 
met as the frailties of human kind can meet them by our late 
beloved colleague, William H. Flack. 



Address of Mr. Rennet, of New York 19 



Address of Mr. Bennet, of New York 

Mr. Speaker: William H. Flack was born and lived 
and died in Franklin County, in the State of New York. To 
those of us who come from the shifting population of a large 
city it is hard at times to comprehend the distinction which 
public office confers in other portions of the State, where the 
population is more settled. The counties of Clinton, Essex, 
Franklin, and St. Lawrence, which comprise the district repre- 
sented here by Mr. Flack in the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth 
Congresses, do not choose their representatives to public office 
lightly. Strongly Republican, a nomination there is usually 
equivalent to election. There have been many men there of 
whom it can be said, as of Mr. Flack, that their birth, their 
life, and their death have all been within the limits of one 
county. The habit of wandering is not strong, attachment to 
the soil is great; consequently a man in public life there is 
known to the voters, and even those who do not know him 
personally know of him. 

I read in the biography of our late colleague that he held 
successively the offices of supervisor (being chairman of the 
board for two years), county clerk of Franklin County, chair- 
man of the Republican county committee, trustee of the village 
of Malone, and Representative in Congress. Had he not been 
a man in the best sense of the word he would not have been so 
honored. 

Knowing, as I do, the character of the men in the northeast 
portion of our State, a simple recital of the titles of these 
offices means much to me. It is the most complete of eulogies. 
I remember that from the same town of Malone came Con- 



20 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

gressman Wheeler, who in 1876 became Vice-President Wheeler; 
and I remember the other many distinguished men who have 
come from those four counties. 

Prior to my service in the assembly of New York my knowl- 
edge of the men of that section was limited. But during my 
two years there I came to know, to appreciate them, and quite 
generally to vote with them. In stature large, for the most 
part, as was our deceased colleague, with clear minds and 
straight-thinking brains, it is no light or idle thing to repre- 
sent such a constituency. We all know that illness prevented 
our colleague from making the record here that he other- 
wise might. During almost the whole of his two terms he 
was compelled b} T physical ailment to be absent, but we can all 
believe that had his health been such as to permit the record 
which he could have made, he would have been a credit even 
to that particular community. We knew him as a kindly, 
genial, straightforward, brotherly colleague. We shall miss 
him. We can rejoice that he faced the inevitable without 
shrinking. We are in some ways better for his having been 
here. Now that he is gone at so early an age, we can be glad 
that he had the privilege of this service. It meant much to 
him. His people were glad to be represented by him, and in 
him his district and his State had a worthy Representative. 
He leaves behind him that good name, which is more to be 
preferred than great riches. 



Address of Mr. Perkins, of New York 21 



Address of Mr. Perkins, of New York 

Mr. Speaker: I only knew Mr. Flack during his service 
in Congress. There I did not know him intimately, but I 
knew him pleasantly. Mr. Flack was a good type of a large 
and valuable class of men in public life. He was not a per- 
son who sought actively for personal prominence; he took little 
part in the debates in the House; he did not seek to exert 
any large influence on legislation. His strength lay in a just 
recognition of what he could do well and in a conscientious 
performance of the work for which he was fitted. 

We sometimes underestimate the value of the work of such 
men. The community is naturally attracted by those who take 
a more conspicuous part, and those we call our leaders. It is 
probably nearer the truth to say that a large body of sensible, 
well-intentioned men, who do their work quietly and con- 
scientiously, listening to what others say and exercising their 
own judgment, are really the leaders in politics and legisla- 
tion. The story is told of a French officer, in some internal 
commotion in Paris, who cried out: 

My company is marching down the street, and I must follow. 

In this remark, at which many have jested, there is a pro- 
found philosophy. The officer did not misstate his true 
position; he recognized it. It is the company that leads, and 
little remains for the officer but to march after his men. If 
he bids them go in the direction they would go, they will 
follow him, and otherwise he will find that he must follow 
them. 

This is eminently true of our great political bodies, and 
therein was Mr. Flack's usefulness and the usefulness of those 



2 2 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

who are like him. He formed one of a body of fair-minded 
men, who wish to do the thing that is right and who have 
intelligence enough to find out what that thing is. To such 
men the captains and the leaders address themselves, and when 
they have decided on the best policy, the captains and leaders 
follow in their wake. 

Mr. Flack's usefulness was not lessened by any itching for 
notoriety nor any morbid desire for personal prominence. 
Freed from such distractions, he did his duty as an intelligent 
legislator, and this entitled him to the respect of his fellow- 
men. That he was kindly, that he was courteous, that he 
bore pain and sickness with fortitude and without vain repining 
constitutes an additional claim upon the kindly feeling of his 
associates and upon their recollection now that he is no more. 



Add?-css of Mr. Driscoll, of New York 23 



Address of Mr. Driscoll, of New York 

Mr. Speaker: Again, to-day, we are summoned to perform 
the sad office of mourning the death and commemorating the 
life of a Member of the New York delegation in the House of 
Representatives. 

This is indeed a sorrowful occasion, more so than the other. 
The old must die and the young may die. To the one the 
end comes in the ordinary course and progress of natural laws. 
To the other it is violent, and it conflicts with some of those 
laws. The earthly tabernacle, however sound and strong in 
youth, grows old and weak with time and toil. When no 
longer able to sustain the soul, the spirit, the life, the vital 
spark, by whatever name, escapes without much struggle, pain, 
or suffering, and that is death. Not so with the man in youth 
or middle age. Some of the organs of the physical mechanism 
are strong and sound and perform their functions normally, 
while others, by inheritance or disease, are imperfect and can 
not do their part. In youth there is hope and resolution. 
The will is strong and so is love of life. The fight goes on in 
pain and travail until the vitality is exhausted and the patient 
must needs succumb. That, too, is death, but much more sad 
and tragic. 

General Ketcham had overlived the allotted time of man 011 
earth. He had done his work and rounded out his career, 
and full of years and honors he passed away. But while Mr. 
Flack was yet in his prime, with many hopes and aspirations, 
and while he was still looking forward, his message came. He 
was cut off in the midst of his plans when his life work was 
only partially completed. But notwithstanding his poor health 



24 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

during his last years, and his early death, he accomplished 
much for good. Born and reared in northern New York, with 
its cold, stormy, severe winters and delightful, invigorating 
summers, he grew up strong, sturdy, and self-reliant, with a 
large body and a sound well-balanced mind. His early condi- 
tion in life was about the same as that of the great majority of 
American boys who have worked their way and made their 
mark. He was poor, but that was no cross. Poverty in 
Franklin County, where few are rich and all are measured by 
what they are, is quite a different matter from poverty in Wall 
street, where riches are the rule and all are measured by what 
they have, no matter how acquired. 

In the country, on the farm, the American boy is not ab- 
jectly poor. There social distinctions are not based on wealth. 
The hired boy on the farm hopes some day to own a farm of 
his own. The hired girl who works in another's kitchen hopes 
some day to be a prosperous farmer's wife. There the em- 
ployee and the employer eat at the same table, worship at the 
same altar, and mingle in the same social gatherings. The 
hired man may be poor in material accumulations, but he is 
rich is health and vigor, in hope and promise. Poverty under 
these conditions and in such an environment is never debasing, 
for it is not humiliating or belittling. That kind of poverty 
and that sort of adversity develop confidence and efficiency, 
build character, and fit the poor boy to improve his opportu- 
nities when they come. In that social condition and amidst 
those surroundings Mr. Flack was reared, and all through 
his life he typified that phase of our American civilization. 
He was never truculent and time serving toward those who 
thought they were his superiors, nor was he ever arrogant or 
overbearing in his attitude toward those less fortunate in get- 
ting on. He was ever a plain, big-hearted man, kind and gen- 



Address of Mr. Driscoll, of New York 25 

erous toward all and obsequious toward none. In these times, 
when gold is worshiped and the dollar is placed above the man 
and social castes and distinctions are being established on bank 
accounts, it would be well if our young men would study the 
character and emulate the virtues of such men as William 
Flack. 

Manifestly Mr. Flack had a taste and aptitude for public 
life. No man could accomplish what he did by accident. He 
was seven years supervisor of his town and two years chair- 
man of the board. He was six years county clerk of his native 
county, and he was also trustee and president of the village of 
Malone, and two terms Representative in Congress from the 
Twenty-sixth district of New York. He was also leader and 
chairman of the Republican organization of his county. , That 
means that he was an able politician as well as a capable and 
honest public servant. He was in public life nearly all his 
years after attaining majority, which indicates that he was 
respected and trusted by those who knew him well. I am 
aware that some people speak with disrespect of politicians. 
They seem to look upon them as rogues, rascals, and crooks, 
and enemies of good society. On the part of some criticisms of 
this kind are prompted by envy and jealousy, and yet others, 
honest but misguided people, actually believe it. There can be 
no greater mistake. No criticism has less of justification. Of 
course there are politicians and politicians. Some are honest 
and others are corrupt. But in honesty, public spirit, and in 
all civic and moral virtues they are far above the general aver- 
age of society. They are not theorists or idealists alone. 
They must be practical in order to accomplish results. This 
is a representative government from top to bottom. 

Every official, whether elected or appointed, holds his com- 
mission by the will of the electors, and all the way from the 



26 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

President down they fairly represent their constituents in virtue 
.mil intelligence. And Mr. Flack was fully up to the average 
of his. He was kind-hearted and generous, and happiest when 
he was helping others and conferring favors. He had learned 
the luxury of doing good. If he was willing to receive, he was 
also disposed to give to the full measure of his ability. He 
was not vindictive ; he was always ready to forgive and forget. 
He treated his opponents fairly, took no advantage, and never 
hit below the belt. He was not a cynic, neither was he a scold- 
ing, carping critic of men and measures. He took the world 
as he found it, and adapted himself to conditions, and tried to 
make them better. He was generous to his enemies and loyal 
to his friends, and they were loyal to him. He was not hot- 
headed and given to passion and arrogance, for he had a kindly 
disposition and a good word for each and all. He was an opti- 
mist, and looked on the bright side of the picture. He was 
well disposed toward all, had faith in his fellow-men and they 
had faith in him. He did not play to the galleries or court 
spectacular applause, but in a plain and unassuming manner 
did his duty day by day as he saw it. His head was clear, his 
heart was warm, and his ideals were high. He was possessed 
of sound common sense, and when he made up his mind and 
took a position, he held it with determination and consistency. 
That kind of a politician was Mr. Flack, and these were the 
qualities of mind and heart which enabled him to retain the 
confidence of all who knew him well. The town of Waverly, 
the county of Franklin, the village of Malone, and the Twenty- 
sixth Congressional district are unusually intelligent and pro- 
gressive constituencies. They successively and repeatedly hon- 
ored Mr. Flack by electing him to office. Why did they do 
so? He was not a distinguished orator or writer. He was nut 
possessed of those rare intellectual gifts by which some men 
dazzle and charm multitudes and command their obedience. 



Address of Mr. Driscoll, of New York 27 

He was not a man of Mich means that he conld corrupt those 
electorates, if so disposed. They honored him because the)' 
knew and trusted him and because they liked him. He won 
his way step by step from place to place, always advancing by 
the sheer force of his good character, common sense, and per- 
sonal magnetism. He wore his decorations so modestly and 
gracefully that the people delighted to honor him. 

The House of Representatives is a distinguished body, so 
large that the ordinary Member cuts but little figure. It is 
governed by traditions, customs, and rules — especially rules. 
Because of those traditions, customs, and rules, and lack of 
experience the most brilliant men make but little headway 
during their first two terms. Mr. Flack served nearly four 
years, but he was handicapped by ill health nearly all the time. 
His colleagues from New York, and others who made his 
intimate acquaintance, liked, respected, and trusted him. His 
mind worked on honest lines. His judgment was sound, his 
conclusions reliable. He was careful, honest, and patriotic. 
With continued life, health, and service in the Congress he 
would have worked his way to the front here as in other fields 
of his activities. But after all his reputation will depend mi 
his work and life at home in Franklin County. Assurance, 
cheek, and gall count for much on short acquaintance, while 
only substantial merit assures respect among those who know- 
one well. Will Flack was admired and loved by his boyhood 
playmates and his life long friends and neighbors. By the 
good people of Franklin County and beautiful and picturesque 
Malone he was known, understood, and appreciated. By them 
he is and will be missed. Their high regard for him in life 
and deep sorrow for his death bear witness to his worth. 



28 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 



Address of Mr. Fitzgerald, of New York 

Mr. Speaker: The State of New York has suffered irrep- 
arable loss in its representation in this Congress through death. 
Two men — one. aged, experienced, and trained in legislative 
work and methods, the Hon. John H. Ketcham, the other in 
the prime of life, with the vigor of ripened manhood, and 
infused with enthusiasm for legislative work, William H. 
Flack — have passed away within a few months. 

William H. Flack was the type of man bound to succeed in 
a legislative body. He had had experience as a public official, 
serving in local boards and other offices with credit and some 
distinction. He had successfully managed and enlarged and 
developed several business enterprises in which he was in- 
terested, and he was known and regarded as one who had 
succeeded in his life's struggle. 

It was natural that such a man should be selected by the 
people of his district to represent it in the Congress. For years 
he had been active in the management of industries upon the 
success of which the prosperity of his people largely depended. 
He knew their legislative wants and understood their position 
on public questions as well as, if not better, than any other man 
in the district. 

My acquaintanceship with Mr. Flack did not antedate his 
entrance to this body. While not long nor intimate, yet it was 
sufficient to enable me with some degree of confidence to place 
a proper estimate upon his character and his capacity. 

He was a large-hearted, kindly spoken, generous man. In 
demeanor he was modest. In speech he was direct and appar- 
ently bent upon using the fewest possible words to convey 



Address of Mr. Fitzgerald, of New York 29 

intelligently his meaning. He was an indefatigable worker and 
devoted to the interests committed to his care. He had a high 
sense of the dignity and the responsibility of membership in this 
body, and had he been permitted to continue here he would 
undoubtedly have left an indelible impress for good upon the 
legislation enacted during his service. 

Inscrutable, indeed, Mr. Speaker, are the ways of Divine 
Providence. At the age of 46, successful in business, honored 
by a great constituency by being chosen to represent it in this 
body, surrounded by a happy, contented, and united family, he 
began a career in this House which to the impartial observer 
seemed full of promise. Vet in the very heyday of his success 
and prosperity he has been called to another, a happier, and 
more blessed life. 



30 Memorial Addresses: II 'illiani Henry Flack 



Address of Mr. Grosvenor, of Ohio 

Mr. Speaker: I never knew Hon. William H. Flack 
until he came to Congress. He was a man. of great modesty. 
He never, I believe, addressed the House. If he did, I have 
no recollection of it. He was a man who may have been said 
to have been reticent and possibly timid in pushing his opin- 
ions, but he was a man of intelligence, possessing strong 
judgment as to matters of business and legislation. He was 
pleasant, genial, and companionable. I can say but little of 
him, for I knew nothing of him in his home life. I knew 
nothing of him in his political life at home. I knew nothing 
of him only as I gathered the mere fragments that indicate 
character while he served his short term. 

He was stricken with disease, and longed to return to his 
duties. He was a strong advocate and supporter of the meas- 
ures seeking to build up the American merchant marine, and 
he took especial interest in the promotion of the interests of 
the fish industries of the various States and Territories. He 
was active in support of the omnibus fish-hatchery bill, and 
wrote and presented to the House the report of the Committee 
on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries upon that measure. 
Had his life been spared and had lie had strength and health, I 
am sure he would have made an efficient and valuable Member 
of Congress. But, stricken as he was, hopelessly ailing as he 
was, we could only hear that he was regretting his untimely 
disqualification for active service. His neighbors speak of him 
in the highest terms of praise, and the fact that he was sent 
to Congress from so intelligent a constituency speaks well for 
him and leaves little doubt that he was a man of high character 
and of virtuous mind. 



Proceedings in the House 31 

FURTHER ACTION OF THE HOUSE. 

The Speaker pro tempore. In pursuance of the orders 
heretofore made, and as a further mark of respect to the de- 
ceased, the House will now stand adjourned until to-morrow 
at 10 o'clock a. 111. 

Accordingly ( at 4 o'clock and 5 minutes p. m. ) the House 
adjourned. 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE 

Saturday, February 2, 1907. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. C. R. 
McKenney, its enrolling clerk, communicated to the Senate the 
intelligence of the death of Hon. William H. Flack, late a 
Representative from the State of New York, and transmitted 
resolutions of the House thereon. 

The Vice-President. The Chair lays before the Senate 

resolutions from the House of Representatives, which will be 

read. 

In the House ok Representatives, 

February 2, igoj. 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 
of Hon. William H. Flack, a Representative from the State of New 
York. 

Resolved, That a committee of fifteen Members of the House, with such 
members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the 
funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and 
directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the pro- 
visions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in connection 
therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The Speaker announced the appointment of Mr. Sherman, Mr. Littauer, 
Mr. Knapp, Mr. Draper, Mr. Driscoll, Mr. Fassett, Mr. Dwight, Mr. 
Ryan. Mr. Fitzgerald, and Mr. Goulden, of New York; Mr. Grosvenor, of 
Ohio; Mr. Minor, of Wisconsin; Mr. Watson, of Indiana; Mr. Howell, of 
New Jersey, and Mr. Reynolds, of Pennsylvania, members of the com- 
mittee on the part of the House. 

Mr. Depew. Mr. President, I ask for the adoption of the 
resolutions, which I send to the desk. 

H. Doc Sio, 59-2 3 33 



34 Memorial Addresses: ]]~illia»i Henry Flack 

The resolutions were read, and unanimously agreed to, as 
follows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. William H. Flack, late a Rep- 
resentative from the State of New York. 

Resolved, That a committee of six Senators be appointed by the 
Vice-President to join a committee appointed on the part of the House 
of Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the 
House of Representatives. 

The Vice-President appointed as members of the com- 
mittee on the part of the Senate tinder the second resolution 
Mr. Piatt, Mr. Depew, Mr. Kean, Mr. Bulkeley, Mr. Dubois, 
and Mr. Newlands. 

Mr. Depew. Mr. . President, I move, as a further mark 
of respect to the memory of the deceased, that the Senate 
do now adjourn. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 4 o'clock 
and 20 minutes p. m. ) the Senate adjourned until Monday, 
February 4, 1907, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

Saturday, March 2, 1907. 

The Vice-President. The Chair lays before the Senate 
resolutions from the House of Representatives, which will be 
read. 

The resolutions were read, as follows: 

In the House of Representatives, 

February 2j, /goy. 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended and that 
opportunity be now afforded Members to pay tribute to the memory of 
Hon. William H. Flack, late a Representative from the State of New 
York. 

Resolved, That as a special mark of respect and esteem for Mr. Flack, 
the House, at the conclusion of these proceedings, adjourn. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family 
of the deceased. 



Proceedings in the Senate 35 

Mr. DEPEW. Mr. President, I submit the resolutions which 
I send to the desk, and I ask for their adoption. 

The resolutions were read and unanimously agreed to, as 
follows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of the death 
of Hon. William H. Flack, late a Representative from the State of 
New York. 

Resolved, That the business of the Senate be now suspended in order 
that a fitting tribute may be paid to his memory. 



memorial Address 



Address of Mr. Depew, of New York 

Mr. President: When a man has passed his limit of three 
score and ten, and four score is near, his death is not an inter- 
ruption, but the sudden checking of ultimate possibilities. We 
mourn his loss as we have in the last hour that of General 
Ketcham, who died at 74. But when the dread event comes in 
the early forties it is more than an ordinary calamity. The 
citizen who is in his meridian and has accomplished something 
of success is a valuable asset of his community and of the State. 
He has cleared the obstacles and difficulties from his pathway, 
his judgment has ripened, experience has made him wise, and 
the course before him is clear. 

Mr. William Henry Flack commenced the struggle early. 
with no advantages other than those afforded by the common 
school. He made his fight in the battle with the world in the 
community where he was born. At 46, when he died, he had 
been a success in business, a trustee and president of his village, 
chairman of his party committee in the county, and twice a 
Member of Congress from the district comprising the counties 
of St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex, and Clinton. In the usual 
course of events he should have possessed thirty years more for 
service to his country and rewards for himself. 

The difficulties which surround a country boy who aspires 
not only to business success, but to a political career, are greater 
than those which meet the son of the city. This is peculiarly 

37 



38 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

the case where political distinction is desired. The man of the 
town is absorbed in the hot competitions of his vocation. The 
theater, the club, and other social diversions claim his spare 
time. It is only in periods of excitement about public ques- 
tions that his attention is diverted to political matters. Public 
opinion in great cities is dormant unless aroused by some crisis 
in the affairs of the municipality, the State, or the nation. 
After a period of feverish and passionate activity the people 
settle down again to the normal conditions with less interest in 
public affairs than in those which pertain immediately to their 
welfare. In the city there is no neighborhood. The citizen 
rarely knows who lives on his street or who are the occupants 
of the other apartments in his apartment house. Many a man 
who has been distinguished and looked up to by his neighbors 
in the country, who has been a local oracle and in a measure 
the pride of the people, has come to the metropolis for a larger 
field for his talents and activities. I have had the ex-judge 
and the ex-Senator or ex-Congressman say to me : "I do not 
know who lives on either side of me or across the way. I am 
a stranger in the elevator to those who are going to their offices 
in the vast building. I am jostled in the streets and crowded 
on the cars. Few call upon my family, and we might almost 
as well be in the Desert of Sahara. I miss the attention and 
recognition to which I have been accustomed, and that most 
delightful flattery in the world — the respect and admiration of 
men, women, and children — which I had at home, and we are 
going back. No pecuniary rewards compensate for the loss 
of that human contact and brotherly feeling which constitute 
the larger part of the pleasures of life. ' ' Under these condi- 
tions the organization more than the individual governs his 
career unless he can control the organization. 

In the country, however, the circle of the citizen enlarges 



Address of Mr. Depew, of New York 39 

with his activities and he becomes socially and politically well 
known, first in the town, then the county, and afterwards the 
district; but he must be somebody and do something which 
raises him above the average in order to receive recognition as 
a leader. Happily for our institutions, politics in these rural 
communities are not the spasmodic and often wild passions or 
crazes of the hour, but they are the thought and the pursuit 
of everyone all the year round. The newspapers are not read 
for the stock market or telegraphic news or cablegrams, but for 
editorials, transactions of conventions, and speeches of public 
men. Magazines are on the table of the sitting room not for 
ornament, but to be read. The lecture hall takes the place of 
the theater, and there the greatest questions of religion, poli- 
tics, and sociology are discussed. The interval between the 
morning and afternoon sendee on Sunday is utilized as a sort 
of Chautauqua for the interchange of views, and they promote 
general education. It is to the credit of Mr. Flack that he 
made his career in such a community. There is no community 
more typical of the very best conditions of rural life in the 
country than the district which Mr. Flack represented in Con- 
gress. Its common and high schools, its academies and its 
college, are of the foremost educational rank. Its people have 
always been noted for their public spirit, interest in public 
affairs, and pronounced convictions. In the best sense they are 
all politicians, and the schoolhouse is as much a political pri- 
mary as it is a primary school. Men of State and national fame 
have been its representatives. No ordinary man could com- 
mand the suffrages of these counties. The difficulties in the 
way of success are greater because they are overwhelmingly of 
the same party, and a nomination is an election, and the com- 
petition is infinitely keener than where a nomination means a 
doubtful fight. 



40 Memorial Addresses: William Henry Flack 

Mr. Flack possessed not only the confidence of the people, 
which led to his being so often honored, and each time with 
promotion, but he had in a peculiar degree the love as well as 
the respect of all. He possessed a personality so agreeable and 
a disposition so charming that they won to him everyone with 
whom he came in contact. His illness, unfortunately, pre- 
vented continued activities in the House of Representatives, 
but while here he was a conscientious worker and had the con- 
fidence and respect of his associates. He leaves an honorable 
record for his family and for the representation of New York 
in the Congress of the United States. 

FURTHER ACTION OF THE SENATE- 

I move that the Senate do now take a recess. 

The motion was agreed to; and (at 9 o'clock and 32 minutes 
p. m. ) the Senate took a recess until to-morrow, Sunday, March 
3, at 1 1 o'clock a. m. 



